Granite Rocks and Weird Lichen

More rocks, more Dartmoor but this time with some weird looking lichen.

I love the diagonal drama of this shot of a Sourton Tor on Dartmoor, pinning the sky. 

Sourton Tor on Dartmoor in Black and White

On to the lichen.  It's like some alien microbe landed on a boulder after a passing ET sneezed on it, then left to mutate into something that really makes you go "euw".

Lichen on Granite Boulder on Dartmoor

Does anyone know what the name of this lichen is?  I have tried to identify it, but failed.

Bellever Tor on Dartmoor - Black and white photography

The Dartmoor air was purged of particulates last Sunday again - crystal clear and stunning.

Walked around Bellever and Laughter Tor and down by the East Dart River.  Cosmo met a young white labrador girl called Luna.  Cosmo's met his moon!  I'll not include the photo of them that's in focus (the photos show blurred dog shapes in the heather as they played); the only clear photo is of some butt-sniffing.  Best to leave out methinks.

Anyway, a couple of images from the walk:

View from Bellever Tor in Black and White

Path to Laughter Tor  in Black and White

Dartmoor Tors - Great Links Tor

My continued tramping across bits of Dartmoor has rekindled my love for it.  Yesterday was the most glorious sunny day - piercing blue skies with a sun so low it hurt.  A welcome change from the storms of the last few weeks.  I kept seeing people just tip their faces up to the sun and just absorb it.  A good day.

We went up by Widgery Cross and explored a few tors.  Great Links Tor is rather stately and impressive..

Dartmoor - Great Links Tor in black and white

View from Great Links Tor  in black and white

Dartmoor Sunrise on a Dawn Walk

I'm tramping up lots of tors these days, part of my preparation for a mid-life crisis climb up Mount Meru in Africa this summer (c 15,000 ft).  Bizarrely, I'm really enjoying it, and Cosmo obviously adores it too. Wonder how long it'll last.... (Me that is, not Cosmo; his capacity for hill running a puppy prancing is boundless.)

Anyway, a couple of iPhone snaps from this morning:

Woody playing in Floodwater at Coryton

The Collingwoods at play...  Woody got bored and fancied a dip in the floodwater that seems to be, well, everywhere.  Except maybe Australia - fancy a trade?

Good for cleaning his nether regions and wheels, I reckon.

We explored some other local spots to see the river levels for ourselves:

River Lew in Flood near Lewtrenchard - 1st January 2014

Floods near Lewtrenchard - 1st January 2014

Flooded River Lew at Coryton - 1st January 2014

Stormy Skies before New Year's Day 2014

Fellow inhabitants of this soggy isle will know that we have suffered the consequences of a very fast jet stream that has whipped up deep depressions in the Atlantic, and then hurtled them along a well-worn bowling alley towards the UK.  Storm after storm, with small bits of OK in between, does not a happy nation make.

That aside, we have has some spectacular skies and cloud formations.  Here is one from Dartmoor, shot between squalls:

May I wish everyone a Happy New Year?  I have a feeling 2014 is going to be a lot better than 2013, don't you?